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Imagine a family of five driving along in a minivan and it’s time for dinner. The family has been out all day, so nothing has been prepared at home. The question gets posed, “Where does everyone want to eat?” The Dad is thinking that the steakhouse sounds good, yet the Mom wants to go to the new build your own salad place. The youngest wants chicken nuggets, the middle child wants pizza, and the teenager apathetically claims to not care. Sound familiar?

The eventuality is that the family is going to eat somewhere, but the decision is going to be painstaking and someone in the group is going to be unhappy with whatever decision is made. In the end though, the family eats and the need is fulfilled. Where am I going with this?

Many companies today are attempting to hire using consensus interviewing, which means that everyone on the interviewing team has to agree to hire the candidate before the company makes the hire. Many companies use the consensus interviewing model in an attempt to avoid a miss-hire. Additionally, the complete buy-in decision is spread to many stakeholders, and in doing so, the risk for blame of a miss-hire doesn’t fall on any one person.

The Russian Judge

Imagine a world class ice skater reaching their dreams of representing the US in the Olympic Games. The time comes when the skater takes the ice, and they have the routine of their career. They are landing triple luts sow cows like it nothing. As the routine ends, the skater knows they earned the gold as bouquets litter the ice. The scores begin to come in…10…9.8…10…9.7….9.9….now the Russian Judge…8. Eight!?! That one person’s perspective and subjective bar for evaluation costs the skater the gold medal. What’s the point?

The potential downside with consensus interviewing is that the entire interview (the evaluation of a candidate’s ability to do the job and fit in with the company) is highly subjective in nature. Each interviewer has a valuable perspective yet a variable understanding of the role. Also, not every person feels the same amount of urgency to fill the position nor does everyone have the responsibility of carrying the extra workload if the opening persists. Furthermore, the interview team might each have wide-ranging opinions on what traits would make a candidate a good cultural fit at the company.

Though the idea and intent of consensus interviewing is good, the results are not always better. What I’ve seen is that with the consensus model settling on the right person takes much longer, and the process is very frustrating for the actual hiring manager.

Pawn Stars

Have you ever seen the show Pawn Stars? A guys walks in with a sword from the Civil War and claims it is authentic. The pawn store owner looks at it and it seems legitimate, but he calls in a couple experts for advice. The decision to buy the sword and what to pay for the sword is the owner’s decision, but the advice from others is highly valued. I’ve seen a similar approach to interviewing work.

I would never suggest a one-size-fits-all solution, and this is just an idea to consider if you’re feeling the frustration of consensus interviewing. What I’ve seen work more often than consensus interviewing is an approach that empowers the hiring manager and includes 2-3 support interviewers. The support interviewers evaluate from their area of expertise, and point out strengths and weaknesses that are uncovered. These interviewers help the hiring manager make a well-vetted decision rather than having an equal voice like in the consensus interviewing model.

The frustration of consensus interviewing can feel like being stuck in that minivan evaluating restaurant after restaurant until everyone agrees to eat somewhere. If your company’s open positions are persisting because it is hard to find a candidate that everyone can agree on, try the approach above. I hope these illustrations shed light on your company’s approach and enable your company to make timely and sound staffing decisions.

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

There are a few interview questions that every interviewee knows is coming. Even though these questions are routinely asked, it doesn’t mean they should be taken lightly. In fact some interviews fall apart at the very beginning, when the interviewer asks, “Walk me through your resume.”

Icebreaker

Sometimes the “walk me through your resume” request is simply an icebreaker. This is especially true in phone interviews, where the interviewer might be asking as they are still getting settled. The interview can be lost if the interviewer was using this question as a icebreaker and the interviewee took the liberty to give a thorough run-down of their experience. Imagine asking someone as an icebreaker, “How have you been?”, and the person tells you details about every semi-significant event over the last year.

Commercial vs. Infomercial

Think about the differences when you compare a commercial to an infomercial. Both are informative and impactful on our decision making, but different in length and detail. When you get the “walk me through your resume” request, assume the interviewer wants a bite-sized yet informative commercial about your experience. I see interviews fall apart when candidates subject their audience to an infomercial when a commercial was expected.

Prepare for Efficiency

Since this particular question opens the way for a long-winded response, my advice is for candidates to have a prepared but not too scripted response ready so that the answer is succinct. I recommend that candidates stress top-line details like their educational background, years of functional experience, and specialty areas. For field-based candidates it would be good to also include something about territories they’ve covered or key centers where they have inroads. In case where the interviewer actually wants an infomercial, I’d recommend the interviewee to close their commercial with, “Was that enough information?” or “Would you like me to go into more depth?”.

I hope this is helpful information as you prepare for your next interview. Remember that “walk me through your resume” is often an icebreaker, so prepare an efficient yet informative commercial about your experience. If you do this successfully, it’s likely your next interview will start off smoothly.

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

Everywhere you look there is advice about how to interview. There is advice from how to dress–to what to say or not to say–to how to follow up. The large majority of the advice is worthwhile, but there is a point in the process that I don’t see given much attention. I wanted to share some advice on what to do the day of an interview. How can a candidate can overcome Interview Inertiaand then create and maintain Interview Momentum?

Guest or Host?

Think about how differently you act in these two similar situations. The first, imagine you are a guest at a dinner party where there are many other guests. You know about 3-5 people in the busy room. Even the most outgoing people would tend to gravitate to the few familiar faces they already know. Perhaps you would too.

The second, imagine yourself now hosting a dinner party with many guests. The majority of the guests you know, but there are also a large number of people you haven’t yet met. As the host of the dinner party, you are going to be more inclined to be social, jovial, and welcoming.

Even in these similar situations, the same person may dawn two different personalities. My advice is to present the dinner-party-host version of yourself on an interview.

Interview Momentum

Now, the dinner-party-host version of yourself isn’t just turned on with a flip of a switch. We need to warm up and build up to that heightened level. Some will need more runway than others. An interviewing pitfall is going into an interview without creating enough social momentum.

Here are some ideas about how to create Interview Momentum:

Sing or whistle while you’re getting ready that morning.

Strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Ask engaging questions to the car service driver.

Make small talk with the receptionist while you’re waiting.

Go out of your way to be thoughtful to a stranger.

Smile as much as possible.

By doing the above things or acting in accord with the outlined ideas, you’ll get the ball rolling…you’ll overcome interview inertia.

When the manager comes into the lobby to greet you, they will instantly recognize your positive energy. This bodes well for a well-received first impression. The energy that was created in the first part of the day will give you lasting momentum through the interview.

Candidates who fail to build momentum leading up to the interview may feel that they have too much interview inertia to overcome the second they meet the manager. Savvy interviewers have social momentum already generated, and they are hitting their interviewing stride from the very beginning.

I hope this information is unique and helpful as you look to create and maintain Interview Momentum. I’d welcome your thoughts about the topic as well.

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

TheMSLRecruiter Blog: That Job is Still Open?!?
The Cost of Going Back to Square One

People develop opinions about companies in a few ways. Sometimes their opinion is developed through being a customer or a vendor. Other times it is based on the advertising messages they see or hear word of mouth. I want to discuss another way perceptions about companies are developed and that is through being a candidate for employment.

When a candidate is being recruited to a company, there are three ways advertising messages get communicated. One vehicle for this marketing message is through the phone lines of a recruiter. The second one comes from other people the candidate knows who may have more information about the company. The third advertising message that shapes a candidate’s perception of the company is what they experience for themselves during the recruiting process–whether as a candidate or prospective candidate.

As an executive recruiter, I get to see many companies handle hiring in many different ways. There is one common misstep that most companies take that sends a negative ripple through the candidate pool. The ripple occurs when a company conducts a search, gets to the end, and then decides to keep looking. Yes, the ole “back to square one” is potentially causing a wave of misinformation to candidates and prospective candidates. Let me explain…

When a company goes “back to square one,” they run the risk of the candidate pool concluding three negative assumptions as they say, “That job is still open?”:

Attract: When a company goes “back to square one,” they lose the allure of scarcity and appearance of opportunity. Imagine you’re a candidate being readdressed by the same recruiter about the same opening as a month ago. Would you assume that the company is having trouble attracting people? Could you see yourself thinking, “If others don’t want this, why should I?”

Afford: Perhaps the candidate doesn’t think that the company is having trouble attracting people. Instead, what if they start thinking the company can’t secure the winning candidate financially? Typically when a company is “back to square one,” they have offered the job to someone and been turned down. Candidates aren’t oblivious to this. What I’ve found is that candidates aren’t attracted to what they feel someone else has turned down regardless of the reason. Even if this too is a false assumption, going “back to square one” allows the hypothesis to hatch that there is some deficiency in the company or the company’s offering.

Agree: Companies that attract the best candidates are ones that show cohesiveness and sound decision making in the interview process. When organizations have to restart a search, candidates may think that the company has trouble making decisions or agreeing internally. In this scenario, I’ve heard candidates say, “They must not know what they want.”

As a balancing statement, I’m not saying that companies should make a hiring decision just to avoid these three assumptions. Hiring the wrong person can be quite costly. Sometimes going “back to square one” can’t be avoided and wasn’t brought about by any of the above reasons. What I would advise against is allowing a chronic behavior to develop. There is a cost for duplicating efforts, and as outlined, it may be costing companies in ways that don’t show up on balance sheets.

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

Interviewers ask questions to reveal those necessary details about a candidate that drive a hiring decision.This article provides seven questions that will reveal the hard-to-find information about a candidate’s soft skills, which is vital in hiring.These questions don’t stand alone, though.Each of them needs follow-up questions such as: “Why do you say that?”, “Help me understand what you mean?”, or “Tell me more about that?’.The reason these questions are powerful is that there is no “right” answer and really no way to prepare for them.In your next interview, ask one or all of these, and see what is revealed to you.

If you were interviewing for my job, what would you be planning to implement right away?This question is more revealing than you probably think. When listening to the answer, you will find out if this person is a cultural fit for the company. You’ll learn if they will be able to buy-in to the direction of the company or team. Also, you might be surprised on how much information you gain that you can actually implement as you develop future strategies. This person might go from a candidate you’re considering hiring to an employee you begin grooming for a bigger role in the company.

Based on all the managers you’ve had, what advice would you give me about management?Try this on your kids first, and ask about teachers instead of managers. The first thing they will tell you is what a teacher should not do…like assign homework. The same is true with a candidate, where their first thought is generally what not to do, and this will quickly reveal whether they would thrive in your company culture. Who knows, you might pick up a tip about management too. Most importantly, you’ll have revealed in a snapshot the type of manager the candidate does and doesn’t like. With that information, you can assess how well they would fit within the organization and your management style.

What things do you accomplish in the morning before work?Okay, this question is not about personal hygiene, so we are not looking for what they do to get ready for work. This questions is about what a person does to get ready to be great at work. The reason I like this question is that it reveals what a person does to set up success. You might learn that the person reads the Bible every day. Maybe the person is a disciplined runner or works out every morning. Perhaps you’ll find out that the person reads industry news or current events. What if you find out they wake up 30 minutes before work? Regardless of the response, you’ve now been revealed their personal priorities.

If you had an unexpected one-hour lay-over and all you had with you was your phone, how would you use your phone to occupy your time?What a person does with unexpected extra time is crucial to evaluating them as an employee, especially if they are given a great deal of autonomy. When you throw in the phone component, what you really need to learn about them is revealed. Are they going to answer emails, read an on-line book, call a customer, peruse social media, or play a game? Maybe they won’t use the phone at all. Perhaps they will put the phone in their pocket and strike up a conversation with a stranger. Regardless, this scenario truly reveals much about their personality style and work ethic.

If today was a free day without any work or family responsibilities what would you do?This is similar to Question 4, but it removes the element of responsibility. Knowing what a person would do with a completely free day is revealing in many ways. Maybe they would spend it alone. Maybe they would read inside or do outdoor recreation. Maybe they’ll sleep or watch a movie. Perhaps the person would chose to be with their family even with responsibility taken away. This question will help you learn about what is truly important and what motivates them. This is not likely to help you make a hiring decision, but if you do chose to hire them, it will help you better manage them.

When you resign from your current position, what is going to be the hardest for them to replace?This is a better question than asking about a person’s strengths because it infuses a real context. You’ll find out about what they do best. You’ll also get a glimpse of their emotional intelligence. The logical follow-up question to this is to ask, “How do you think your employer will react to you resigning?” This will reveal the relationship the person has with their manager, which will likely be the relationship you’ll have with the candidate down the road. Also, you will get further insight to why they are looking for a new position and whether they would consider a counter-offer. All of this is great information to have revealed before offer time.

What is something interesting that you have recently learned?When I ask this question, I am looking for them to light up. I want to see what impassions them. The logical follow up question is to have them teach it to you. By doing so, you can see how well organized their thoughts are, how well they can covey potentially complex ideas, and how well they truly understood the new information. The ability to learn and teach others is invaluable in any market. Having revealed to you whether the candidate you’re interviewing can learn new things thoroughly is vital.I hope these questions are new and implementable ideas on how to ask more revealing questions about soft skills. I would enjoy learning any revealing questions that you have in your repertoire, as these are some of mine. Plus, I would appreciate your thoughts on if you think these would bring your hiring process any value.

Thanks,

Michael Pietrack

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

As an executive recruiter, I have a very interesting vantage point from which to observe an interview processes. I intimately see both sides and the emotions each experiences. I’ve noticed something that is consistent in candidate behavior, and I wanted to share it with those who are in a position to hire.

As time passes after an interview and there is no feedback given, candidates develop a defense mechanism that I call Reverse Rejection. When the interviewing momentum stalls, the candidates start thinking of all the reasons that they don’t want the job. In anticipation of being rejected, the candidate starts unconsciously rejecting the company. Here are a couple scenarios of when I have seen Reverse Rejection:

At the Beginning of the Process: When a recruited candidate gives a recruiter permission to share their resume, which they just invested a few hours in updating, they expect a quick turn-around. Except for extreme cases, most everyone gets to their emails in 24-48 hours. I usually see candidates getting antsy and wanting to know where things stand after 72 hours have passed. If they call the recruiter after three days and there is no feedback from the company, I see them starting to back off from the excitement they had initially. They ask themselves, “If they aren’t interested, why am I?”

Often times, a person’s only perception about a company is generated while interviewing. In many ways, a recruited candidate can gauge how organized a company or a manager is by how quickly they react to seeing their resume. Also, candidates get a sense of the speed of business at a company through their experience in the interview process. When there isn’t a quick turn-around, I see candidates starting to develop negative feelings about the company, and start talking themselves out of being interested.

At the End of the Process: Well-prepared and well-intentioned candidates go into final interviews with the highest of hopes. They’ve spent many personal hours making sure they represent themselves in an accurate and professional way. The interview goes smoothly, yet at the end of the interview they learn they’ll hear back in two weeks. The candidate hears “two weeks,” understands “two weeks,” but they are unprepared to emotionally handle waiting “two weeks.” Again, as we hit the 72 hour mark after the interview, candidates start getting hungry for some form of feedback. When the recruiter and candidate hear nothing but radio silence from the company, I notice candidates starting to compensate for their lack of power.

Of course, I’m a recruiter, not a psychotherapist. I can easily see, though, when companies don’t deliver timely feedback to candidates, they begin to feel powerless. When that sinking feeling of powerlessness sets in, I then see candidates compensate for this feeling by grasping for power. The only way they can balance the scales is to start rejecting the company before the company rejects them.

Why It Matters: There are three reasons why it matters. The first reason is great companies know that candidates are people – not applicants. Great companies realize that these people gave much of themselves throughout the process and deserve timely feedback. The second reason is that the best companies understand that some people’s only perception of their company was created by interviewing with them. That perception, whether it be positive or negative, is going to be shared. Regardless of whether the candidate gets the job or not, the premier companies make sure the experience is pleasant. Timely feedback is a major contributor to candidates having a positive take away feeling, even if they don’t get the job. The third reason is that the companies who have the best talent have it because they won it. The top companies aren’t trying to close candidates who have been mentally rejecting them for over a week. Time allows talent to wiggle off the hook by letting doubt and competitors to creep into the picture. A steadily moving interview process with timely feedback attracts the best talent. Not only does it attract the A-players, it wins the A-players.

I hope this information helps ensure that your interview process is attracting and landing top talent. Furthermore, I hope this article helps your company avoid the potential for Reverse Rejection. If you have any questions about this topic from a recruiter’s perspective, contact me any time.

Michael Pietrack

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.

As an executive recruiter, I’ve been able to observe the many different ways candidates handle receiving job offers. As different as everyone’s reactions may be, I’ve recognized that deep down most candidates feel they should at least try to negotiate. I sense that most people want to avoid feeling like they left money on the table, and they feel that if they don’t try to get more money, they are foolish in some way. I wanted to share what I’ve learned about negotiations because I don’t want anyone to potentially lose more than they have the opportunity to gain. Yes, in regards to a job offer, there could be a very steep cost to negotiating.

Political Capital: The first idea I would like to share is something called political capital. By the time someone receives an offer, the new company loves them. In other words, their political capital is high, and there is a symbolic bank account with their name on it filled with this political capital. Every day someone takes to accept the offer, withdrawals of political capital are being made from that bank account. The same is true when we go back and ask for more money without easily verifiable reasons. Let’s say a candidate asks to increase the offer because…well, just because they feel like they need to negotiate…they are lighting their political capital on fire. They may gain a few thousand dollars, but it may cost them a fortune in political capital. What candidates don’t see is the company venting to me about their tinge of buyer’s remorse and their second-guessing if the candidate is the right person.

“Are you saying that I should never ask to increase my offer?” No, that is not what I’m saying. Read on.

The Unacceptable Offer: Asking for an unjustifiable increase in the offer is when a candidate begins to bankrupt their political capital. Asking for an increase so that the offer is to a level of acceptability is appropriate, and both people are working toward the same goal. The bigger issue is this: Why did the company extend an unacceptable offer? Candidates should tell their recruiter long before the offer comes to them what will be acceptable or not. Let the recruiter professionally advise, not negotiate with, the company to what they should offer you. This begs the question, should the candidate be negotiating their job offer?

What is a Negotiation?: A negotiation takes place in one-time buying events, where you try to extract as many concessions from them, while also reducing concessions on your side. Does that sound like the right way to start off the relationship with your new employer? A job offer is not a buying situation comparable to buying a house. A job offer is closer to a marriage proposal. When I proposed to my wife, I hoped for a “Yes.” In fact, I hoped for a “Yes, of course!” I would have been shocked by a “Yes, but…” or a “Yes, if…”, and I would have been crushed by a “No.” When a company extends a job offer, they, too, are expecting a “Yes, of course!” The proposal is not time to negotiate the size of the ring.

Solution: As mentioned earlier, the solution is working closely with your recruiter with full transparency about all the moving parts that make up your employment package. Educate your recruiter so they can advise their client. Many low offers are due to the candidate not looking deeply into their employment package ahead of time. Let your recruiter burn up their political capital trying to raise the offer to an acceptable level, and keep the political capital that you’ve earned intact. If the company you want to work for offers you a job for an acceptable amount of money, say “Yes, of course!”

I hope this helps, and I hope I can help you receive your next offer!

Michael Pietrack

About the Author: Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?: TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.